Emergency-exit-door fastener.



C. B. WOODARD. EMERGENCY EXIT DOOR PASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-28. 1913.

Patented Nov. 17, w14.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L C. B. WOODARD.

EMERGENCY EXIT DOOR FASTENBR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2841913.

Patented NGV. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wiz?.

B. "WOODARD, OF SPRNGFIELD, TENNESSEE.

nii

Application led :February 28, 1913.

T0 @ZZ yo/.0m vit may concern Be it known that i, CHARLES B. Woooann. citizen of the United States. residing at Springfield, in the county of Robertson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful improvements in llinergency-itxit-Door Fasteners, ot which the following is a specitieation.

rl `liis invention relates to eniergencv exit door fasteners and has as its object to provide a device of this class particularhv well adapted for use in theaters. halls, and other places where it is customary for a number of people to congregate.

More specifically the invention aims to provide a fastener for double door emergency exits so constructed that both doors will be immediately released for swinging movement to open position when pressure is exerted against either of the doors.

In some respects the structure embodying the present invention resembles that shown and described in my co-pending application, filed February l5, 1913, Serial No. 748.695, but the structure of the co-pending application is adapted only to be used upon a single door, but it could be employed in connection with double doors provided a post or upright was arranged between the free edges of the doors. The use, however. of such a post or upright in a theater or similar' exit is obljectionable, in that it presents an obstruction to the passage of a number otl persons through the doorway. It is therefore an aim of the present invention to so construct the device that it will he adapted to hold both doors in closed position hut will release both doors for swinging movement to open position when pressure is exerted against either door. the locking of the doors in closed position being accomplished without the pro-- vision of a center piece Avor.upright. f l.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the Jfollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the invention applied to toe. double doors of an' exit. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device. the doors being shown in closed position. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view, viewing' the coperating latch inembers in top plan. the doers being in closed position. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.

3, but illustrating the positions assumed by the parts when pressure is exerted against Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial lilo. 751,341.

one ot the doors. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. -i but illustrating the positions assumed by the parts when pressure is exerted against the other door.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings h v the sa ine reference characters.

ln the drawings the numeral l indicates the door tramo ot the exit and 2 and 3 indicate double doors which are mounted in the said door frame for swinging movement in the dirtwtion indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Mounted upon the inner face of each of the doors Q and 3, respectively, at the upper and lower corners and at the hinged side thereof are brackets 4 supporting an angle-iron bar 5. The two bars 5 serve as supports for iiexible panels which are mounted upon the inner faces of the doors in a manner which will be presently explained. Bearing brackets 6 are secured upon the inner face of the door 2 near the top and bottoni of the door at the free side thereof and mounted for rocking movement in these brackets is a rod 7 having fixed at its upper and lower ends latch-arms 8 and 9, iespmftively designed to engage with keepers l0 upon the top or' the docr frame and the sill of the doorway. At this point it will be understood that when the latch-arms 8 and 9 are in engagement with their respective keepers 10, the door 2 will be held in closed position. hut that the rod may be rocked in the bearings 6 so as to disengage the latcharins from the keepers so that the door may he .swung to open position.

The rocking movement of the rod, referred to above, is accomplished automatically when pressure is applied to the door, by means which will nowlbe described. ..-\l`ixed Vupon the rod '7 near theupperand lower ends thereof are bracket arms 11 which support an angle iron bar 1Q, the bar being spaced from the inner face of the said door 2 and extending parallel to the bar 5. A llexihle panel L3 is secured at one lateral edge to the har 5 and at its opposite edge to to hold the said end of the arm against thevto ' 25 which corresponds it will here be' only briefiy described. The numeral 15 indicates a spindle which is rotatably mounted in the casing 14 and is designed to be rotated by the rotative movement of the barrel of an ordinary lock indicated at 16. The spindle 15 carries the cam-head 17 the cam-surface of which is indicated by the numeral 18. A leaf spring 19 is secured to the inner wall of the casing 14 and extends toward one end of the casing and is sprung away from the said wall, or in other words in the direction' of the camhead 17. In the said end-wall of the casing a slot 20 is formed and through this slot projects an arm 21 carried by a collar 22 lixed upon the rod 7. The arm 21 at its end is provided with a pin 23 against which the free end of the leaf-spring 19'bears, whereby cam-face 18 in a manner clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. At this point it 1s to be observed that the pressure exerted by the spring 19 against vthe pin 23 will yieldably hold the arm 21 locked ina direction away from the inner face oi. the door 2 and that consequently the rod 7 will normally'be yieldably held in such position as-to stretch the panel 13. However, pressure exerted against this panel will serve to sag the same and as the panel is sagged the bar 12 1s drawn toward the bar 5, thereby rocking the rod 7 in a direction to swing the latch-arms 8 and 9 out of engagement with their respective keepers. As a consequence, when pressure is exerted against the panel 13 at any point in its area the doorwill be released for swinging movement to open position.

Bearing brackets 24 are fixed upon the l door 3 adjacent the free edge thereof and adjacent the top and bottom and mounted for rocking movement in these brackets is a rod in location to the rod 7 Bracket arms 26 are ixed upon the rod 25 and support an angle iron bar 27 to which is secured one lateral edge of a flexible panel 28, the op Josite edge of this panel being secured to t at one 'of the bars 5 which is carried by the door 3. A coil spring 29 is litted upon the rod 25 and connected at one end with the upper one of the bearing brackets 24 and at its lower end with-lthe upper one of the bracket-arms 26 and this spring 29 serves to yieldably hold the rod 25 so rocked as to stretch the panel 28 and hold the same toward and against sagging. A. latclrtinger 29 is formed upon the collar 22 and projects at an angle to the arm 21 and this latchinger is bowed or curved as at 31 in the d irection of the door 3 so as to afford a cam face 32 which is presented away from the free edge of the door 2 and the said linger terminates in a nose 33. A collar is fixed upon the rod 25 and Jformed upon and projecting from this collar is a latch-finger 35 having a concave side 36 and a nose 37.

The latclringers 29 and 35 are located at corresponding points upon their respective supporting rods and by referring to Fig. 3 of the drawing it will be observed that when arms 8 and 9 with their respective .keepers 10. By referring to F ig. 4' of thefdrawing it will be seen that if pressure is exerted against the panel 13I whereby to sag the same, the latch-arms 8 and 9 will be swung out of engagement with their keepers and the latch-finger 29 will be swung away from the latch-,linger 35. lnasmuch as the engagement of the latch-linger 35 with the tinger 29 serves to hold the door 3 in closed position, when they finger 29 has lbeen moved out of engagement with the finger 35 by reason of the outward swinging of the door '2, the door 3 is free to swing outwardly/to ,nose 37 from the nose`33. .Continued pressure against the'panelwill cause the finger 35 to ride over the cam side 32 of the finger 29', thereby swinging the linger 29 to the right as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing so as to disengage the latch-arms 8 and 9 from their keepers 10 and thereby release the door 2 :tor swinging movement to open position.

lFrom the foregoing description of the in-l vention it will be seen that pressure against the panel of either door will serve to release both doors y'for swinging movement to open position and that the arrangement isv such that it is unnecessary to provide a center piece or post between the free edges of the doors. ,y y

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. ln a structure of the class described, companion doors, coperating latch elements carried thereby, and means carried by each door arranged, when pressed, to move the respective latch element out ofy latching engagement with the element upon the other door and release both doors for swinging movement.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a door frame, of companion doors mounted in the frame, a keeper on the frame, a latch member engagable with the keeper and carried by one of the doors and arranged when so engaged to hold the door in closed position, coperat ing latch elements carried by the doors and arranged to hold the other door in closed position when the first mentioned door is ist closed, and means carried by both of the doors and arranged, when pressed, to retract said latch member from engagement with its keeper and to move the respective latch element out of latching engagement with the element u on the other door and release both doors or swinging movement.

3. In a structure of the class described, companion doors, a keeper, a latch-member carried by one of the doors and coperating with the keeper, cooperating latch elements carried by the doors and arranged to hold the other door closed when the iirst mentioned door is in closed position, means carried b the 'first mentioned door and ar ranger, when pressed, to move. the latch member out of engagement with its keeper to release the door for swinging movement, and means carried by the other door and arranged, when pressed, to disengage the latch element carried thereby from the latch element carried by the first mentioned door and v to move the latch member upon the first mentioned door out of engagement with the keeper.

4. In a structure of the class described, companion doors, a latcharranged to hold one of the doors in closed position, cop erating latch elements carried by the doors and arranged to hold the other door in closed position when the first mentioned door is closed, means carried by the first mentioned door and arranged, when pressed, to render the said latch inoperative, means carried by the second mentioned door and arranged, when pressed, to render the latch elements inoperative to hold the said door against swinging movement, and connection between the latch element upon the irst mentioned door and the said latch upon the said first mentioned door whereby the latch will be rendered inoperative upon movement of the latch element upon the second mentioned door to disengage from the latch element upon the first mentioned door.

5. In a structure of the class described, companion doors, latch elements mounted for locking movement upon the' doors and arranged to coperate with each other to hold one of the doors in closed position when the other door is closed, and means carriedby each door cooperating with the respective latch element and arranged, when pressed, to move the said element out of locking engagement with the element upon the other door.

6. In a structure of the class described, companion doors, cooperating latch elements carried by the doors, means holding the elements in mutual engagement when the doors are in closed position, the latch element upon one of the doors being arranged for movement against the latch element upon the other door to impart movement thereto, and a latch carried by the said other door and arranged for actuation by such movement of the last mentioned latch element, and means carried by each of the doors and arranged, when pressed, to actuate the corresponding latch element.

7. In a structure of the class described, companion doors, a rod mounted for rock* ing movement upon one of the doors, a keeper, a latch arm carried by the said rod and engageable with the keeper whereby to hold the said door in closed position, means yieldably holding the rod rocked to osition to engage the latch arm Iwith the eeper, a latch element upon the rod having a cam portion, a latch element upon the other door engageable with the first mentioned latch element and arranged to be held by the latter in latched position when the first mentioned door is closed, the second mentioned latch element being arranged to ride over the cam portion of the first mentioned latch element and in so moving to rock the rod to move the latch-arm out of engagement with the keeper, means carried by the first mentioned door and arranged, when pressed, to rock the said rod to disengage the latch-arm from its keeper, and means carried by the other door and arranged, when pressed, to move the latch element carried thereby out of locking engagement with the latch element upon the rst mentioned door whereby as the second mentioned door moves to open position the second mentioned latch element will ride over the cam portion of the first mentioned latch element to release both doors for swinging movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. lWOODARD. [ns] Vitnesses:

E. M. GALBREATH, I. R. Conan. 

